Climbing for a cause
Kakepuku 10 Challenge helps fight neurodegenerative diseases
Earlier this year Waipā local Ruth Mylchreest started training and planning for the Kakepuku 10 Challenge - her own event to raise awareness and funds for people affected by Motor Neurone Disease and Huntington’s Disease in the Waikato.
She hoped people would take the time to learn about these rare neurodegenerative diseases that take people’s lives and support her challenge to the tune of $15,000.
In the rain and wind on Saturday Mylchreest completed her challenge - and smashed her goals.
Mylchreest is a neurology clinical nurse specialist at Waikato Hospital, providing care and support for people living with Motor Neurone Disease (MND) and Huntington’s Disease.
While her challenge to climb Kakepuku 10 times in 24 hours - a total distance of about 75km and an elevation of 4490m - was both physically and mentally challenging, she says it is nothing compared to the challenges of those she cares for and supports in her job as a specialist nurse.
Saturday was cold, wet and dark when the training was over and the real challenge began. It was 4am. It was cold, wet and dark again when she finished at 10.30pm - but there was also elation, satisfaction, joy and a sense of achievement.
Mylchreest was amazed at the number of people and groups who came to support her - families of sufferers, friends, colleagues, Te Awamutu Volunteer Fire Brigade firefighters and people she didn’t know - as well as her mother Rosie Haywood over from the UK.
“They pitched tents at the carpark to keep dry and came out to give me valued support when I completed a climb,” she says.
“A number of people joined me on a climb or two and supported me along the way, including the firefighters joining in on climb six in all their gear.”
She says there were also motivational notes all the way up and down the track which helped her through.
hey became a bit of a talking point, but no one owned up to putting them there.
And at the end of the day, the fundraising goal had also been smashed, with the total sitting at $25,000 and also climbing as Mylchreest plans to leave the Givealittle page open a while longer.
The funds raised will be donated equally to two charitable organisations: Motor Neurone Disease New Zealand and Multiple Sclerosis Waikato, the organisation which provides community-based support to people living with Huntington’s Disease along with the support provided for people with multiple sclerosis.
Both organisations also had representatives supporting Mylchreest through her challenge.
She describes it as ‘a big day’ - but worth every minute.
“My training certainly paid off, but I still started to notice the first signs of fatigue on climb eight,” she says.
“On climb nine I hit the wall, but I still knew I would finish.”
Mylchreest says she had been averaging about 90 minutes per climb, but the last one took two-anda-quarter hours.
“I started that climb in daylight and finished in the dark and was in incredible pain.”
What helped was being accompanied by husband Todd, her children Noah, 13, and Padden, 11, coach Ian Barraclough, friends Lowell Hurst and Hamon McKay and neurology colleague Kate Ives.
“They got me to the end and then there was a huge surprise with friends and family set up in party mode, complete with music.”
Mylchreest says it was emotional and joyous and the pain disappeared - briefly.
She says the pain returned, but when she eventually went to sleep she had a good night, followed by a slow Sunday to recover.
By Monday Mylchreest was back at work and says being back on her feet and active was the best thing for her.
She says the whole experience was positive, but she might take it easy off track from now on and get back into her crossfit training for summer and just enjoy the tracks she loves at a more leisurely pace.
To keep supporting the cause, search Kakepuku on givealittle.co.nz or if you want to help you can email her at mylchreestruth@gmail.com